Legislation -
Referred to Committee
(House)
-
March 6, 2013

Legislation -
Bill Passed
(Senate)
(22-15) -
March 5, 2013(Key vote)

Vote Result

Yea Votes

Nay Votes

Vote to pass a bill that establishes procedures for designating persistently low-achieving schools as charter schools.

Highlights:

Authorizes the formation of charter schools as tuition-free public schools and establishes procedures for the conversion of existing public schools into charter schools (Secs. 1 & 3).

Specifies that only existing public schools can be converted to charter schools (Sec. 1).

Authorizes a local board of education to designate a persistently low-achieving school as a charter school (Sec. 1).

Requires the principal of a persistently low-achieving school to present staff with the option to convert to a charter school if 20% of staff sign a petition, and requires the school to convert to a charter school if there is 2/3 approval by all staff (Sec. 1).

Requires the principal of a persistently low-achieving school to present parents and guardians with the option to convert to a charter school if 20% of parents and guardians sign a petition, and requires the school to convert to a charter school if there is 2/3 approval by voting parents and guardians (Sec. 1).

Requires the educational programs established by a charter school to meet or exceed the student performance standards adopted by the state board (Sec. 4).

Exempts charter schools from being subject to specific district policies and state administrative regulations (Sec. 3).

Requires the local school board to distribute to a charter school the proportionate share of federal, state and local funds for each student who is a resident of the district and enrolled in the charter school (Sec. 7).